Automobile.



.PATENTED FEB. 27 1906.

F. M. BLAIR. AUTOMOBILE. APPLIGATION FILED JULY 15, 1905.

. u Jlllllll lNvENToR 2 m K MLBZMH M LM ATTORNEY WITNESSES.

shaft '24 extends in direct the case the beveled pinion 25, which intermeshes with the main driving beveled gearwheel 26, operating the differential gear mechanism 27, by which the inner axles 4 are revolved. From the bearing .16 the drivingline through the bore 20 of the head 19, the boll-end-socket joint 18; and the sleeve 14 to the trens1nission-shcft 28, to which it is suitably coupled in line with the crank-shaft 29 of the motor 30, which is suitably mounted and supported on the side bars 10 of the frame B.

The motor and driving-shaft being thus mounted. and elined on the frame B with the bearing 16, it is apparent that the frame B is adapted by its hingebeerings 1.5 and its swivel-bearing 12 to adjust itself to any independent up and down movements of parts of the runnin gear without distortingor disturbmg the alinement of the bearings of the driving-shaft 24-, it be1ngnmn1fest,for example, that if either one of the rear wheels is raised above or drops below the level of the other the swivehbcsring 12 and the hinges 15 permit such movement without creating any strain of the shaft on its bearings or between its pinion and the driving-gear, while the ball-andsoclret joint 18 permits the required adjustment of the radius-rods to the tilted position of the rear axle without affecting their capacity for truss bracing and holding the rear axle at right angles to the shaft and in position to maintain a direct elinement of the journal 16 with the swivel 12 end the shaft 24, the only effect of such tilting of the rear axle on the frame B being to raise or lower its swivel end roportionately less than the distance the w reel is raised or lowered. As the rear axle is raised or lowered by s wheel the journal 16 of the gear-case turns in the swivel-liieoring 12 and on the shaft 24-' It will be seen also that the raising or lowering of either of the front wheels (in so for as sucn movement is not taken up by the springs) produces a proportionstely less raising or lowering of the front end of the frame B to the raising or lowering of the front end of the frame A and that by rcnson of the action of hinges 15, the bnlLend-socket joint 18, and the swivel 12 such raising or lowering does not in any wise tend to create any strain between the shaft and its bearings, and theseme is true also if one front wheel and the diagonally opposite rear wheel be raised or lowered at the sums time or if one be raised and the other lowered, the swivel-bearing 12 end .the journzil-bciuing to being adapted to permit of their independent simultaneous ro--- tation in opposite or in the same direction, according as the inde )OIKiGHlZ movements of the parts to which t iey are respectively attcched may require, and without interfering with the rotation of the shaft independently of both. i

The frame B being hinged to the front l cross-bar 9 of the frame A at the front end and connected to the rear axle by the radiusrods 22 and the swivel 12 at the rear end in such manner as to prevent any increase or diminution of the normal distance between the two parts of the running-gear, it is menifest that the distance between the motor and the gear-case will remain constant and that there will be no lengthwise pull or thrust on he driving-shaft arising either from depression of the springs or the raising of the axles, end that by the use of my invention no provision is required for the telescopic lengthern ing or shortening of the driving-sheft in order to avoid such pull or thrust on the shaft, as by my construction the elasticity of the springs and the links 8 readily permits the slight changes in the wheel-base necessary to accommodate the up and the down movement of the axles or of the main frame A through the short srcs described by the ends of the frame B during such up and down movement. It will be seen also that by connecting and supporting the frame B as shown and do scribed the vibration produced by the motor is divided between the front cross-berg of the main frame and the rear axle and thatby res.- son thereof the degree of vibration trsnsmit ted to the seat portion of the body of the vehicle is greetl reduced.

While a bell-und-socket joint is preferably used for connecting the radius-rods to the frame B, it is apparent that e swivel-joint may be substituted therefor without departing from the principle of adjustebly supporting the frame shown and described, and I therefore do notlimit myself to the use of the lutll-and-socket joint for such purposes. It is apparent also that by a change of diameters only thorelctive positions of the swivel 12 end shaft-bearing journal 16 in the formation of the pivotal connection between the frame B and the gear-case 3 may be exclnu'iged without infecting the pivotal capacity of either and that either arrangement of the connection may be used in its con struction. I tl'ierefore do not limit myself to the arrangement of the connection as shown.

What I claim to be new is- 1. in an automobile, the combination with 21 run mug-gear comprising a rear axle having a casing provided with a bearing extending forward redial to the casing, and with rotatuble axles, {L front axle parallel with the rear :LXlO, El, pair of springs fixedly mounted transverse oocb axle, and a main body-supporting frame having side bars directly mounted and supported on the springs, of a subsidiary frame having its front end portion hinged st e plurality of points to the front end portion of the main body-supporting frame between the side hers, end its rear end extended to the rear axle and rotntebly mounted on the and extending in direct line fromthe connection through the radial bearing of the rear shaft between the motor and the'radial hearing, and fixedly supported bv the subsidiary frame, a radius-head rotatably mounted on the sleeve concentric to the shaft, and radiusrods diverging from the radius-head and se- "cured to the rear axle.

2. The combination in an automobile running-gear, of a tubular rear axle having a central gear-case provided with a tubular bearing extending forward radial tothe axle, said axle being also provided with inner axles that are gear-connected withinthe gear-case,

- on the ends of the a front axle springs, mounted trans- 'erse each axle, a main body-supporting frame hinged and linked to and supporte springs of the axle, as set forth, a subsidiary motor supporting frame, having its front end portion hi the front end portion of the main body-su porting frame on each side of a line paral el with'and central betweenthe side bars of the main frame, and its rear ends centrally andarallel with the rear axle, a pair of half-e liptic nged to l pivotally supported by the tubular bearing 1- of the gear-case, a motor mounted on the subsidiary frame, a differential gear mechanism mounted onithe frame'adapted to be operated by the motor, a sleeve secured to and supported by the motor-sup orting frame in line with and between the tu bular bearing of the gear case and the difl'erentia gear mechanism, a tubular radius-head rot-atably mounted on the sleeve, radius-rods diver ing at equal angles from the radius-head, an se cured to the rear axle, a drivin -shaft adapted to be revolved by the di erential gear mechanism of themotor, and extending in '1 direct line with and through the journal sleeve, radius-head,- and the bearing of the gear-case, and a gear on the shaft within the gear-case connected with and adapted to o erate the gear of the inner axles su as set forth. In witnesswhere l I f have hereunto signedmy name, in the presence of two, subscribing witnesses, this 12th day of July, 1905.

, FRANK M. BLAIR. i Witnesses: ROBERT M-ACKAY,

\ WALTER A. EVERMAN.

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